Day 16 Home again.

Day 16 Leaving- I hope

Woke at 6:30. Noisy people leaving bumping their bags down every step and talking as they did at 2:45AM!!!! More noisy kids at 5 am and then it was time to give up and get up. After I was dressed some part of last night’s dinner “went through and cleaned me out”, but once it had gone I was fine. Down to breakfast. They used a card system  to order, similar to a motel. A choice of four different kinds of meals. The fruit platter that I ordered never arrived.  Toast cooked on one side only? but that’s Bali. The cups of tea were delicious once we had ordered more hot water to solve the eight tea bags to the pot!

Chris took Val and Pauline in the first taxi/ car, while Sandra and I went in the return trip. Only one cab available- Ramadam. It was a very short trip to the airport, with very strict security as you approached. We checked through the first section and sat and waited until the counter was opened at 10:30, then a VERY long wait in the Jetstar queue (for one hour) until it was our turn to be served. All the bags and extras got on. Mine was only 26 kgs Chris’s was heaviest- with lots of Val’s fabric inside- at 31kgs and everyone else was between. A few grumpy patrons whinging about Jetstar which only got worse when the sign above the counter showed that the plane was to be delayed by another two hours- until it arrived. So it may well be three hour delay by the time we board? We all got a $10 voucher for food from the counter. One bottle of water, a salad and a cup of tea cost $15.

Next another security check, where Chris lost one pair of scissors and Pauline lost 5. They had each forgotten that there were scissors in their hand luggage. Wandered through the tax free duty free until we got to the food court, where we all sat and ate. Then we walked around to the departure section at the allocated time. We all sat because we did not have a gate and our flight wasn’t even listed now.

As we waited we read/ sewed/ talked or in Chris’s case sat on the floor waiting for her battery to recharge. Luckily I had put my local plug in my carry on. Close by some girls in full costume were performing traditional dances in front of a magnificent display of local orchids. The gardens at the airport were very impressive as was the building. A combination of modern and traditional. The roof reminded us of Southern Cross Station.

Finally our flight was on the board and of course it was gate 9- the last one in the terminal. So off we went. Message to future travellers. There are no hot drinks. Substantial meals available after gate 2- but you don’t know that at the time. However there was a children’s playground area, deck chairs to relax in, snack bars and plenty of toilets. We sat and waited at gate 9 and finally saw our plane arrive.

However then they pulled yet another security check. Got us all out of the area and herded us back through a security check, where you lost all liquid- bottles and cans, even if you had just bought it after the last security check. Bags were opened and some people got patted down? I think I failed to mention that the air/con in this section “may” have been working, but it was still VERY hot and quite uncomfortable. There was no water available and no toilet facilities. So if you needed either, you had to go out and go through security again???

At long last we were called to board. Not in the usual seating rows, just first in- first served. No children or elderly first, just get in the line and go down the ramp. The enclosed ramp area was extremely hot- glass walls with radiated heat all around. Luckily we were only in that area for a short time. All boarded. Full flight (no surprises there) and finally took off at our new time of 3:45pm. The captain gave us the good news that it should be a short flight and the flight manager helped to quell the potential rebellion by telling us all the entertainment was free. The five of us got free meals as well as part of the package that we didn’t know we had? He even found me some GF food. Two tubs of lettuce and a feta cheese salad. Later he found a GF biscuit. Free cups of tea this time and free water. Two movies – one I’d seen before -and lots of knitting later we touched down in Melbourne at 10:55pm. Almost 5 hours by the time you add on the time difference.

Toilets (why are the women’s around the corner and the most distant from the gate?) through passport control, down to immigration, carrousel 6 most distant of course and just to end it all wait until almost the last bags to get ours. Through customs because we all had things to declare but nothing was checked and finally out!! Around 12 am but my body was still in Bali time. Peter was there to pick us up via the airport bus. Chris and Val were going to long term parking bus section and Pauline was picked up by her son in the terminal.

It was 2 am by the time I got home and walked in the door to an icebox….. A great holiday but the start of a series of “issues”.